Comal Inn

Traveling to the Frontier

by VeronicaG

When Prince Solms collected his group of immigrants wanting to settle in America, they quickly learned that space was an issue!

One trunk this size had to hold all of their worldly goods, including clothing, that their family would need to begin life in New Braunfels. No matter how large the family--three members or ten, all would have to place what they were bringing into one container.

This display at the Sophienburg Museum illustrated how limited their possessions were.

Wurstfest

by klasher

The 10 day salute to sausage! A glutonous festival (if you do it right). The food was phenomenal and the beer goes down easy. Beware the beer and food are very expensive-just know this before you enter. There are carnival rides and two entertainment tents for drunken polka dancing.

of German extraction

by counsel14

"a little history"

New Braunfels is about 50 miles south of Austin right on interstate highway 35. It is mostly a tourist town today with a huge factory outlet mall. But the Historic District is beautiful with the architecture showing the traces of a nineteenth century German organization called the Adelsverein (Association of Noblemen).

the Adelsverein's purpose was to encourage German citizens to emigrate from what (in the Nobility's view) had become an overpopulated land. the plan was also supposed to make money for the noblemen that funded the movement of the populace. When Prince Karl of Solms-Braunfels came to Texas, he stopped short of the land grant in Llano County (20 miles NW of New Braunfels). Instead he bought the land where the present day city is located. This was in 1844 for those that keep track of time lines and such.

Today, there are shopping malls, outlet centers, restaurants, lodging, and all kinds of recreation available in this town.
You can wander through the Historic district of Gruene (pronounced Green), float down the river in an inner tube (go tubing, dude), go to a huge waterpark (Schlitterbahn), or have some of the best German food you've ever eaten at a number of fine restaurants.